Wrapping up two years of collaboration to advance state-of-the-art air quality management in China, the Technical Assistance Project for the China Air Quality Management Program hosted a final workshop and training on March 3^rd and 4^th in Nanjing. The initiative is a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

As a result of the initiative, Jiangsu province developed a model air quality management plan to reduce PM_2.5 and other key air pollutants to target levels based on U.S. best practices, and achieved significant air quality improvements.

During the workshop, the U.S. EPA, along with its international partners—RTI International, Sonoma Technology, Inc., and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), presented key findings and provided regulatory and technical recommendations to the Jiangsu Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and three city-level EPDs (Nanjing, Changzhou, and Suzhou) to improve their air quality management work.

Christopher James, RAP principal, introduced the integrated, multi-pollutant planning for energy and air quality (IMPEAQ) concept. Experience in leading U.S. states reveals that integrating air quality, energy, and climate policy has lower costs, fewer trade-offs, and more co-benefits—benefits expected to be replicated in China. On the second day, Mr. James presented a deeper dive on integrated energy and environmental planning and recommendations to the Jiangsu EPD during the training session, Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy are Essential in Meeting Provincial and City Air Quality Goals, Energy and Air Regulators should Collaborate on Respective Plans.

The workshop and training addressed the comprehensive process of air quality management, from air quality monitoring and forecasting (source apportionment and emissions inventory) to emissions control measures for power and industrial sources. Jiangsu EPD and city-level EPD staff discussed lessons learned and their needs for future cooperation.

Mr. Chen Zhipeng, deputy director general of Jiangsu EPD, closed the meeting by saying, “After two years of hard work, the average concentration of PM_2.5 in Jiangsu was reduced by 20.5 percent compared to 2013. This project successfully deepened the coordination and exchange between the U.S. and China, and I hope that Jiangsu’s air quality will be continuously improved based on the good practices of this project.”